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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26353465">The Moon and Polaris</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PKLucky/pseuds/PKLucky'>PKLucky</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>King of Fighters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, F/M, Living Together, Love Triangles, Mentor/Protégé, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rivalry, Self-Insert, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:02:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>15,390</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26353465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PKLucky/pseuds/PKLucky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aspiring martial artist Kiki Cruz flies to Japan from the United States in hopes of training under the world-renowned KOF champion Kyo Kusanagi. During her search for Kyo, Kiki runs into his eternal rival Iori Yagami instead. Although he's not who she came for, he'll have to do.</p><p>(My attempt of turning my Iori x S/I one-shots into an actual continuous story)</p><p>Rated T for canon-typical violence and swearing. Rating may change as new chapters get posted.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Yagami Iori/Kiki Cruz, Yagami Iori/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Kiki vs. Iori: Final Round</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23512885">The Moon and Polaris (One-Shot Collection)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/PKLucky/pseuds/PKLucky">PKLucky</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, I've been rereading my one-shots and decided that a lot of them needed a rewrite. Plus, I have a more fleshed out timeline for how Kiki and Iori's relationship grows, so let's actually have a comprehensive story published for these two love birds, shall we?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I challenge you, Iori Yagami!” Kiki stood tall in the alleyway, pointing to the man in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori looked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at the woman behind him. Her small stature, her short black hair, her bright brown eyes burning with determination… Iori grew tired of seeing all that every single afternoon for the past week. With a groan he turned around. “Haven’t you had enough already?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell, no, I’m not!” Kiki declared. “If I beat you, I’ll definitely get invited to KOF!” She stretched her arms, bounced in place, and readied herself into a fighting stance. “Come at me, Iorin! I can totally take you on this time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, “I told you to not call me that.” He positioned himself into his fighting stance: slumped over with legs wide apart and fingers sprawled out as if ready to claw into his opponent. “If I beat you, never show your face to me ever again, got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki smirked and nodded. “Sure, but I don’t plan on losing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them stared each other down then rushed towards each other, raring to land the first hit. Iori jabbed straight at Kiki’s face, and his fist connected with her cheek. Knocked back by the impact, Kiki stumbled and brought her forearms up in front of her head, anticipating another blow. In response, Iori crouched and kicked his leg out, striking Kiki’s ankles. The girl yelped as she got knocked to the ground. She attempted to get up, but Iori pressed down on the middle of her back with his foot, pinning her down to the ground. As she made another attempt to stand, Iori pressed down harder. She continued to wriggle free from Iori’s sole for a while longer until she finally gave in with a huff. Kiki craned her head up, looking into the man’s cold red eyes pleadingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get out of my sight.” Iori turned around and started to walk away, unaware of the girl propping herself up on one knee behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“W-Wait…!” Iori looked over his shoulder with a scowl as Kiki steadied herself against an alley wall. With labored breaths, she called out to him, “I’m… I’m not through with you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori sighed and turned back, “Damn it, woman, give up already. At this rate, I’m going to kill you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No!” Kiki cried. “I’m getting into KOF no matter what. Screw what everyone else says. Screw what everyone else wants me to do.” She coughed, still breathless from struggling earlier. “I made this decision on my own, and I’m gonna see it through. I’m not gonna let anyone tell me what to do anymore. I’m making my own future!” Iori perked up at Kiki’s last statement. He faced her once more. Hunched over, she rested her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. “I don’t care if I win.” She straightened her back. “I don’t care if everyone beats me.” She lifted her head. “I just wanna live my own life.” She broke into a sprint and reeled a fist back. “I ain’t gonna back down from anything anymore!” Kiki shot her fist straight towards an unsuspecting Iori and landed the blow straight to his gut. With the wind knocked out of him, Iori collapsed onto the concrete with a thud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The adrenaline in Kiki’s body began to subside. When she looked down and saw Iori’s unmoving figure on the ground, her entire body froze up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki clammored towards Iori and kneeled next to him, bowing repeatedly and apologizing profusely, “OH MY GOD IORI I’M SO FUCKING SORRY I LET MY EMOTIONS GET THE BETTER OF ME ARE YOU OKAY I DIDN’T BREAK YOUR STOMACH DID I--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cough from Iori stopped Kiki’s rambling apology. He pushed himself up and glared at the girl. Every muscle in her body tensed. Sweat began trickling down her forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You win, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki sighed in relief as the fear rushed out her body. She stood up and offered a hand to Iori. With an averted gaze, he took it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In terms of changes from the original, the most obvious one is that the section at the end where Iori offers Kiki to be his student was omitted. I feel that something like that would be best saved for Chapter 2 or Chapter 3 at the latest. Also, that thing about Kiki dropping out of college? I do plan on introducing that in the story, but I feel like that part of her backstory would be best introduced later.<br/>Other little things:<br/>God damn, Kiki cried a lot in the one-shots. Nothing wrong with that, but like, damn girl. I feel like if she cries too much, it'll lose impact.<br/>Oh hey a physical description for Kiki. Short girl with black hair and brown eyes. ... Better than nothing, right?<br/>I tried to make Iori more distant here. I feel like the original version had him warm up to Kiki a little too quickly.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Agreement</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Even Kyo’s disciple isn’t this clingy,” Iori mumbled to himself as he walked through the city streets with Kiki following closely behind him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What was that?” Kiki picked up her pace and walked alongside him, cocking her head at him innocently.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced down at the girl and grumbled, “Don’t you have anything better to do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nope!” Kiki flashed a wide grin. She tapped her chin in thought, “I mean, I did come to Japan to see Kyo, sure--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori began to walk faster, “So, go find him instead. I’m not gonna stick around and babysit some brat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki pouted and caught him by his jacket sleeve, “Now, hold up, bucko. I’ll have you know I’m way older than you. I’m twenty-four years old and counting!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori narrowed his eyes at her; her baby face, her… lacking chest, and an over-excited personality to top it off? No wonder only one word managed to come out of his mouth at that point. “... What.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ignoring his comment, Kiki stepped in front of him. “Besides,” she folded her arms behind her back and leaned forward towards him, “I’ve got a little favor to ask, Iorin.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you stop calling me that, maybe I’ll listen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki stood tall and addressed Iori, “Mr. Yagami!” She bowed deeply, “Please take me in as your student!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori stared down at her, thought for a moment, and walked past her. “Nope.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“H-Huh?!” Kiki stood upright and chased after Iori until she matched his pace once more. “Oh, come on! I promise I’ll be a good student. I’ll do everything and anything you want, no questions asked!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori continued walking, “Then, go away.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything </span>
  <em>
    <span>except</span>
  </em>
  <span> that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stopping in his tracks, Iori sighed, “Just go and talk to Kyo already. You said so yourself, you want him, not me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki rubbed the back of her neck, “I mean, that’s true, but you’re still a great fighter. Her eyes shone as she gushed, “You’re Kyo’s rival, for crying out loud! I’m sure I can still learn a lot from you. Even if you’re not Kyo, it would still be a great honor to be taught by you, Mr. Yagami!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He peeked over his shoulder. A faint smile cracked across his lips, “Flattery will get you nowhere, woman.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You sure?” Kiki smirked. “Because I’m pretty sure I just saw a smile there just now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a shrug, he sighed and turned to face the girl. Raising a finger, Iori said, “I’ll agree to be your teacher on one condition.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes widened, “Yeah? Yeah?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Once you’re a capable fighter, you leave me alone.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal!” She grabbed his hand with both of hers and shook it vigorously. “I ain’t leaving your side until then, Mr. Yagami! From now on, you’re my teacher and I’m your student.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori rolled his eyes, “Alright, that’s enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She stopped shaking his hand, but before she let go of it, Kiki said one last thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“By the way, my name’s not ‘woman’. It’s Kiki.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, we've obviously diverged from the original last half of the first one-shot. Like I've said, I feel that Iori wouldn't have warmed up to Kiki as quickly as he did in the original fic, so I think this depicts a more believable way of Kiki becoming Iori's student. Plus, we've got a confirmed age for Kiki: 24 years old. Damn, Iori, what's with you getting paired with older women, huh?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Training: Day One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kiki sat cross-legged on the pavement of the empty lot as she listened intently to Iori’s lecture.</p><p>“... And that’s why your legs are also an important part of your arsenal. Any questions?” Kiki shot her hand straight up and Iori pointed to her, “Yes?”</p><p>“I wanna fight now!” she declared. “I’m ready! I’m ready!”</p><p>With a sigh, Iori beckoned Kiki to stand, “Fine, but I’d better see some improvement from earlier today.”</p><p>She hopped from her seat, stood tall, and saluted her teacher, “You got it, Mr. Yagami. I’ll do my best!”</p><p>The two of them stood a few feet away from each other, both of them staring each other down as they positioned themselves into their respective fighting stances.</p><p>“Ready?” asked Iori. Kiki nodded. “Let’s go!”</p><p>The two of them rushed at each other; Kiki raised her fist and brought it back, getting ready to throw a punch. Iori crouched and kicked outward, connecting with Kiki’s ankles. She cried out as she was knocked to the ground. Quickly thinking, she caught herself and rolled away before Iori could land another hit. Kiki closed the distance between her and Iori again, this time choosing to duck down and kick at him. Iori hopped back outside of Kiki’s range and threw a purple fireball down to the ground. It snaked towards her and hit her shin. Stumbling back from the searing pain, Kiki retreated once more and struggled to stand back up. As she attempted to stand, Iori had already closed the distance between them and kicked straight at her chest. The wind knocked out of her body and she flew back from the impact, sliding a short distance across the pavement.</p><p>Kiki heard footsteps approach, but she laid still on the ground, breathing heavily as she tried to keep her mind away from the pain in her chest, back, and leg. Iori loomed over and gazed at her with his usual cold glare.</p><p>His brow furrowed slightly, “There was an improvement, but not much.” Kiki groaned from exhaustion and disappointment. Crouching down, Iori continued, “It was a fluke that you managed to last this long this time around.” The girl pouted and remained silent. “Just what were you thinking when you tried to attack me?”</p><p>“I just wanted to hit you,” replied Kiki. “What else do you think I was trying to do?”</p><p>Iori shook his head, “What about defense? Counterattacks? Anything?” With a frown, Kiki averted her gaze and shook her head. He pinched the bridge of his nose and stood, “Get up.” With a grunt, Kiki pushed herself up and rose to her feet. “Hmph, at least you can do that much. Now, listen. I'm not going to repeat myself." Kiki nodded and stared straight into Iori's eyes. Raising a finger, Iori began his lecture, “First off, you’re predictable. You start off each fight the same exact way: you run towards your opponent and attempt to punch them at your shoulder height.”</p><p>Kiki closed her eyes and pondered for a moment. The fight just now, the one from earlier this afternoon, the day before that, and the day before that… Yeah, he was right. Every fight started just like that. She nodded with a newfound understanding.</p><p>“Now,” Iori continued, “this may work if your opponent knows jack shit about you, but once they catch on, they’ll counter it right away. Usually with something like a low kick or a grab, depending on their fighting style.”</p><p>“Hm, yeah, that makes sense--oh, wait!” Kiki dug through her back pocket and pulled out a small notebook and pen. She opened it up to the first page and scribbled down some notes. “Got it, got it.” Without looking up from the notebook, she continued to write. “Keep going, Mr. Yagami.”</p><p>Iori paused. When Kiki turned the next page of her notebook, he continued, “As I was saying, while this approach can get countered, I’m not saying you should stop doing it. It’s just one of the many ways you can start. If you have different opening attacks, it’ll keep your opponent on your toes. Understand?”<br/>
“Yeah! Yeah!” Kiki quickly jotted down more notes and filled up more pages. “Totally get it!”</p><p>“Alright. My other point.” He shot her a glare, “You’re holding back.”</p><p>Kiki’s pen stopped and she looked up at Iori, cocking her head, “What do you mean, Mr. Yagami?”</p><p>“Don’t play dumb with me. I know you can hit harder than you did during this fight just now.” He tapped his stomach with his fist, “Remember when you knocked me to the ground? When you hit me right here?”</p><p>Kiki bowed her head and rubbed the back of her neck, “S-Sorry, that was--”</p><p>“Don’t apologize.” Iori approached her and demanded, “Hit me like that again.”</p><p>She blinked. Her mouth hung open. She almost dropped her pen and notebook. “Uh.”</p><p>He stepped closer. “Didn’t you hear me? Hit me.”</p><p>A blush rose to her cheeks. “M-Mr. Yagami--”</p><p>“<em> Now </em>.”</p><p>Squeezing her eyes shut, Kiki let her fist fly straight to Iori’s chest with all her might. She heard his footsteps stumbling back a few paces. Cautiously opening one eye, she looked and saw Iori with a slight smile on his lips.</p><p>“That’s more like it, my student.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, while there are some similarities to the original one-shot, I feel like there's a bit more of a clear direction where I want to go from this point forward in comparison to how the original went.<br/>Here, I think it's important to lay down a foundation for Kiki's character development for later on. This first training session introduces what I believe to be two of Kiki's biggest character flaws she has to overcome later in the story. The original one-shot made a point of Kiki being the kind of person who easily gives up when things get tough. That early characterization of her is.... very out of character for her now, hence, the much-needed rewrite.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. A Talk Over Dinner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kiki sprawled out onto the pavement, drenched in sweat and panting. Bruises started to form on her arms and legs, and her whole body felt sore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori shuffled towards her, “That’s enough.” Raising a limp thumbs up, Kiki smiled at the man and pushed herself off the ground. She wiped the sweat off her brow. Iori turned around and started making his way out of the lot. “Let’s get dinner. You need to keep your energy up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming!” Kiki skipped and caught up to him, proceeding with a hop in her step as she walked side by side with him.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>“There’s a ramen shop near here. That work?” Iori asked as he and Kiki walked through the quiet city streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded, “Yup! Ramen’s good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just another couple of blocks ahead.” He turned to her, “Tired?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A little,” She grinned at him. “But that beating ain’t gonna keep me down. Besides, I’m getting hungry. I’m sure I’ll be fine after some food in my belly!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two kept walking and eventually came upon the ramen shop. Iori opened the door and let himself inside. Kiki caught the door and entered right after him. The inside was dimly lit and a few patrons sat scattered around the bar, each with varying amounts of noodles left in their bowls. The scent of freshly cooked meat and warm broth made Kiki’s mouth water. Noticing Iori already settled in his seat at the bar, Kiki hopped onto the seat beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chef behind the counter turned to the pair, “Welcome! What will you two be having?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pork ramen,” Iori said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, same here!” Kiki beamed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two pork ramens, coming up!” the chef announced. He set two glasses in front of them, poured ice water into each of them, then turned back around to start cooking their meals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki bounced in her seat as she waited for their food. Iori narrowed his eyes at her and rested his chin on his hand as he leaned on the bar. “Just looking at you is exhausting.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki cocked her head at him, “Hm?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How are you still so full of energy?” he grumbled. “You were on the ground gasping for air just a few minutes ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a giggle, she replied, “I’m super excited! It’s been so long since I’ve had authentic ramen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm-hm,” Kiki rested her elbows on the bar and her head on her palms as she swung her legs underneath the stool. “I actually used to live in Japan when I was a kid, but I had to move to America because of my parents’ work. When I still lived here, we’d come to ramen shops like this sometimes.” She grimaced, “Sure, I had instant ramen while I was in the states, but, man, you just can’t beat the real thing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm,” responded Iori. Whether it was a “hm” in agreement or boredom, Kiki couldn’t tell. Not that she minded either way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked around aimlessly at her surroundings as she took a sip of her water and glanced at Iori who was staring off into space. “So,” she piped up, “do you come here often?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori shook his head. “Only every once in a while when my band and I have a performance at the venue nearby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki’s eyes lit up, “Oh, yeah! My friend mentioned that to me. That you’re in a band, I mean. He’s a huge KOF nerd, so he knows a lot about the participants.” She turned to him and asked, “But anyway, what kind of music do you guys play?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rock,” he answered and sipped his water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She nodded and smiled, “Cool, cool! I’d love to hear you guys play sometime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph,” Iori continued to drink from his glass.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chef set two steaming bowls in front of the pair, “Two pork ramens!” Kiki gazed upon the contents of the bowl with wide eyes. Thin cuts of pork, sliced leek, half of a medium-boiled egg, and thin wavy noodles all submerged in a light brown steamy broth… Kiki couldn’t help but bounce more in her seat as she took the whole sight in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quit staring and eat already,” Iori grumbled as he broke his chopsticks. Kiki snapped out of her trance and broke her chopstick as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the food,” the two said in unison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki slurped up her noodles quickly and squealed, “So good!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori brought the noodles to his lips and ate his meal as well.</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>After they finished off their bowls, Kiki pulled out her wallet. Before she could put money on the bar, Iori set a few bills and coins down already; he had put down enough to pay for the both of them. Without another word, Iori rose from his seat and began to leave. Kiki glanced back and forth between Iori and the money as she tried to process what just happened. Iori was almost at the exit when Kiki got up from her seat and rushed to his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you! Come again!” the chef called out as the two of them left the building.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki caught up to Iori and they walked together once more. “What?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stumbled over her words, feeling a bit flustered over Iori’s little act of kindness, “I just… Uh, thanks for paying for me too. You didn’t have to do that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two kept walking for a while until Iori stopped. “What are you doing?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going home,” he declared. “We trained. We had dinner. We’re done for today.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh,” Kiki bowed her head. “Right. Yeah.” She started walking in the other direction and waved goodbye. “Thank you for the lesson today, Mr. Yagami.” She stopped for a moment. “Oh, I should give you my number! That way, we can schedule another one.” She ran back up to Iori and pulled out her notebook. She scribbled her phone number on a blank page, ripped it out, and handed it to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori examined the paper. It read “Kiki Cruz’s mobile phone number!!” with the number under it; it was written with a pink gel pen, and the handwriting had a cute roundness to it. Next to the number, she had also drawn a chibi headshot of herself with a big smile and showing a peace sign. Iori blinked and snorted a little. He had only known the girl for a week, but this was definitely something she would do. Iori folded the slip of paper in half twice and stuck it in his back pocket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With that out of the way, Kiki turned back around and walked in the opposite direction once more, “See ya, Mr. Yagami! I’m looking forward to the next lesson!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori turned around and started making his way back to his apartment. As he walked down the sidewalk, he realized something. The only thing noteworthy in the direction Kiki was going was a few love hotels. He came to a halt, pivoted a complete 180, and broke into a sprint after Kiki.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Settling In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Mr. Yagami, it’s fine! Really!” Kiki continued to protest as she trailed behind Iori. “I’ve saved enough money to stay at that love hotel for at least another month!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what about after you’ve run out of money, huh?!” he barked back. “You idiotic woman, didn’t you think this plan of yours through?” The two of them approached Iori’s apartment complex, and Iori fished his keys out of his pocket. He swung the front door open and entered with Kiki going in right after him. The keys on Iori’s keyring jingled as he unlocked the inner entry door of the complex.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki bowed her head sheepishly as she and Iori walked through the lobby and up the stairway. “Sorry for being a bother, Mr. Yagami,” she muttered. Iori remained silent as they kept moving. They stopped on the second floor and proceeded through its hallway. Iori stopped in front of one of the doors, stuck the key into the lock, and opened it. Kiki entered right after him and the two of them slipped their shoes off at the entrance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori went further inside and into the living room. Kiki followed him and observed her new surroundings. Dull concrete walls surrounded the dwelling. A sliding door was opposite the front entrance, leading to an empty balcony. In the middle of the living room, a worn-down sofa and coffee table sat. An open doorway was in front of the coffee table, leading to a small kitchen. On the opposite side was a hallway, probably leading to a bedroom and bathroom. In one corner of the room were a half-full bookshelf, a desk with sheet music spread across it, and a bass case. The bookshelf looked a little dusty, but the bass case definitely wasn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You take the bedroom,” said Iori as he unbuttoned his jacket and shirt. “I’ll take the sofa.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki’s eyes widened, “What? No! Come on, I’ve inconvenienced you enough. Take your own bed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I'm surprised </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>is what you’d call an inconvenience considering everything else you’ve done this week.” Iori quipped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki hung her head. Yeah, the daily street fights probably did get annoying after the first time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't care what you do in there," Iori stated as he threw his garments over the sofa. "If you touch anything, make sure it goes back where you found it. Also, bring me the alarm clock that's on the nightstand." He gestured loosely towards the hallway as he laid himself on the sofa. "Go down the hall. It's the first room on the right."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"'Kay," She shuffled over to the room and entered. Somehow, the bedroom was more barren than the living room. All there was was a bed (more like a mattress that just happened to be on a metal bed frame), a nightstand, and a closet. Kiki set her backpack down next to the bed. She looked over to the nightstand and saw the alarm clock there, just as Iori said it would be. She picked it up and trudged back to the living room with her head low.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She found Iori laying on the sofa reading a novel. "Here's the alarm clock, Mr. Yagami," she whispered, handing it to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grunted in response, took it, and set it on the coffee table, never looking up from his book. "Sorry again," she repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A groan from Iori made Kiki jump. He set his book aside and rose from the sofa. "Quit apologizing!" he shouted. "I'm so damn close to kicking you out."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sor--" she stopped herself, "I mean, I… Uh…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If I really didn't want you here, I wouldn't have dragged you here with me." He laid back down and draped an arm over his eyes. "Go back to my room and sleep."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki nodded and tiptoed to the hallway. Before she left the living room, she looked back over her shoulder and smiled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks a lot, Mr. Yagami."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, in the original one-shots, it was pretty much implied that Iori and Kiki lived together during her time training under him, but I never answered the question of *how* things got to that point. As for Iori's apartment, I tried to go for a setting that combined his apartment in the KOF: Kyo manga and King of Fighters for Girls. Either way, Iori basically lives in a dump lol. Still love him, though.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Phone Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Iori tossed and turned on the couch, deep within his usual nightmares. Blood splattered everywhere. A large snake bared its fangs. Corpses piled around him. An overwhelming fear stirred in the pit of his stomach. He coughed. His hands stained red. The snake lunged towards him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The impact of rolling off the couch and onto the floor woke him. Muttering swears under his breath, he blinked his grogginess away. He patted around the top of the coffee table, searching for his alarm clock. He grabbed it and turned its face towards him. Just a little past midnight. Iori groaned; he barely got two hours' worth of sleep. He rose from the floor and shuffled towards the bathroom. He doesn’t need a mirror to know he’s a mess right now, but god damn, a few splashes of cool water on his face would help at least a little bit. On his way to the bathroom, he passed by his bedroom and noticed the door was cracked open. The light was still on, and he could hear Kiki’s voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Kai, it’s me,” he heard her say. “Yeah, things are going great! It’s morning where you guys are at, right? … Okay, good, I got my time zones right, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curious, Iori leaned against the wall just outside the doorway as he listened. A phone call?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, I didn’t find Kyo but guess who I found instead?” She paused, waiting for a response. “No, it’s not anyone on the Japan team. … It was Iori! Iori Yagami!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He frowned. She was way too excited about meeting him. She came for Kyo, didn’t she? He couldn’t understand why meeting him would be any better. As he pondered more over the logic going through Kiki’s head, Iori realized he knew absolutely nothing about this girl. Although he wasn’t the type of person to eavesdrop, he had to know more about her. She was going to live with him now, after all. Just what kind of person was she, willingly letting herself get involved with a guy like him? He peeked through the crack and saw Kiki sitting on the bed, holding a mobile phone to her ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck, “I know, I know. It’s pretty crazy.” A long pause. “What? He’s not gonna--Kai…! Oh, come on, I’m not gonna get hurt!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori couldn’t help but smirk. At least the person on the other end of the line seemed to have some sense in them. If the person she was talking to knew how dangerous he was, perhaps they were the friend Kiki mentioned at dinnertime?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki groaned and pouted. “Don’t worry, okay? He’s actually really nice. … I’m serious!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He frowned. How delusional. She didn’t understand a thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway,” she continued, “I was wondering if you could relay your notes over the phone? Mr. Yagami mentioned that it would be useful to know stuff about who I might be facing off against in the future.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori perked up. Well, he didn’t say that </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but damn, she actually paid attention to his lecture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She leaned over the edge of the bed, unzipped her backpack, and pulled out her notebook and pen. “Yes, I called him ‘Mr. Yagami’ just now. Shut up.” She opened the notebook to a new page and began writing something in it. “Anyway, I want notes on everyone. … Yup, everyone. … Yes, even the American Sports Team. They’ve gotta make a comeback at some point. Maybe this year will be their year!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori stood by the doorway, listening to Kiki discuss her friend’s notes over the phone. After hearing things like “Just gotta keep my distance from guys like Clark and Daimon. Got it”, “How exactly can Choi just zip through the air?”, and “Bro, how do you expect me to get close to Billy when he’s got that long-ass staff?!”, Iori decided that he heard enough. He walked to the bathroom and washed his face. Just as Iori was heading back to the living room, Kiki peeked her head out of the bedroom doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did I wake you up?” she asked. “Sorry--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori turned back around and lightly pinched her cheek. “What did I say about apologizing?” he grumbled as Kiki whined. He let her go, and she rubbed her cheek. “Don’t stay up too late. You’d better apply what you learn tonight tomorrow afternoon.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki cocked her head at him, and her eyes widened in the realization of what he was referring to. “Okay!” she replied. “Good night, Mr. Yagami!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without a word, Iori proceeded to the living room with a small smile on his face.<br/></span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So this one came in pretty quick because I was writing this one in conjunction with chapters 4 and 5. I like skipping around with writing stuff if my original one-shots are of any indication. Speaking of the original one-shots, a re-write of one of them will be the next chapter so uh stay tuned i guess lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Beginning of a Rivalry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kiki peeked inside the fridge, noting the scarce amount of food inside it. “Mr. Yagami!” she called out, “We’re outta food!” It had been almost two weeks since Kiki moved in with Iori, and it turns out that fridges tend to get emptier when more people live with you. Hearing no response from Iori, Kiki walked over to the doorway and peeked into the living room. He was still fast asleep on the couch. His mouth gaped open as he snored. Sighing to herself, she went back to the bedroom, changed into her usual hoodie and jeans, slipped to the front door, and exited the apartment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once she was outside the complex, Kiki took a good look at her surroundings, trying to remember the route she took with Iori the last time they went to the convenience store together. While the two of them needed actual food in the fridge, the girl thought it would be better if Iori came along with her to a supermarket for actual grocery shopping. Right now, she needed food in her belly. She could probably pick something up for her teacher too. Might as well be a good student to him, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The girl wandered the city streets, turning at random street corners that seemed at least somewhat familiar. She kept walking along the sidewalk, slowly spinning in circles as she did so, trying to find landmarks to help her get her bearings. Continuing to meander, she turned at another corner--</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch out!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Kiki could see who called out to her, she was knocked to the ground by a strong force. She found herself on her back with a huge mass on top of her. The mass pushed itself off of her and she realized it was a young man in a bright blue school uniform.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked down at her with wide eyes. “Wh-Whoa, sorry!” he cried. “I ran so fast, I couldn’t stop myself!” Bringing himself up to his feet, he offered a hand to Kiki. She took it and he helped her to her feet. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt?” he asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki shook her head, “No, I’m alright, uh….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sorry! I haven’t even introduced myself.” He bowed to her, “I’m Shingo Yabuki! Nice to meet you! Sorry again about bumping into you like that. Anyway, I gotta…” Shingo looked down at his hands then down at the sidewalk. “Oh no!” Kiki traced his line of sight and saw two yakisoba breads on the pavement, sad and no longer appetizing. Shingo crouched and examined the two fallen sandwiches, “Aw jeez, I’m already running late, and this happens….”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki piped up, “I can buy you two more to replace them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shingo sprung up to his feet and shook his head vigorously, “No, no, it’s fine! It’s my fault this happened, so I should take care of it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I insist,” offered Kiki. “Besides, I was on my way to the convenience store anyway. But, uh,” she rubbed the back of her neck and laughed at herself, “I’m actually lost.” She smiled at Shingo, “If you show me the way there and back home, I’ll call it even between us. What do you say?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shingo crossed his arms as he mulled it over, “Well, when you put it that way… Alright, I guess that’s fine. I’m already late for my training session anyway. It won’t matter too much if I’m more late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, it’s settled! By the way,” Kiki bowed to him. “I’m Kiki Cruz. Thanks for helping me out, Shingo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s no problem, Ms. Cruz,” Shingo walked ahead and beckoned Kiki to follow him. “Well, let’s go!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Coming!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The pair exited the convenience store together: Kiki munched on a rice ball and carried another rice ball in her hand while Shingo had two yakisoba breads in his. Kiki handed Shingo her other rice ball as she took out her notebook and flipped to one of the pages. On it, the address to Iori’s apartment was written. Showing the page to Shingo, she asked, “You know how to get here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shingo read the address and nodded to himself, “Yeah, I know that area. I can take you there real quick!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awesome!” Kiki beamed as she took a pen out of her pocket. “Do you mind if you keep holding onto my rice ball until I get back? I just need to write down the directions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sure,” replied Shingo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them walked side by side as Shingo told Kiki the names of each street they were passing through. Kiki scribbled the directions down in her notebook.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they proceeded back to the apartment complex, Kiki decided to make small talk, “So, you mentioned you were running late for a training session? What for?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shingo smiled wide and replied excitedly, “I’m actually training to get into the King of Fighters tournament! Kyo Kusanagi’s my teacher!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki immediately stopped writing in her notebook and looked up at him with eyebrows raised and eyes wide, “Wait, wait, wait, you know Kyo Kusanagi?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Shingo beamed. “Mr. Kusanagi is the best! He’s been teaching me a lot of cool moves.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude!” Kiki cried, “You gotta introduce me to him sometime. I got stuff to do today, but I really wanna meet him. That’s why I came to Japan in the first place!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow, you're a fan of Mr. Kusanagi too?! Man, us meeting each other like this, it must be fate!" Shingo laughed to himself, “Just kidding. But yeah, we can set up a meeting whenever you’re free. Do you mind if we exchange phone numbers? You can call me and let me know when you’re available.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki agreed and let Shingo write down his number in her notebook while he let her write down hers in his notebook. She jumped for joy and squealed, “I can’t believe it! I’m finally gonna meet Kyo! Thank you so, so much, Shingo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, Ms. Cruz. It’s the least I can do.” As they kept walking, Shingo asked, “Hey, just wondering. How long have you been in Japan?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki lifted her head and thought back, “Let’s see, I’ve been in Japan for about three weeks now, but I’ve been living in that apartment complex for two," Shingo listened intently as Kiki continued. "Don’t ask about that first week. You don’t wanna know. But anyway, I’m actually training to fight in KOF too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, that’s so cool!” Shingo cheered. “Hey, maybe we’ll face off against each other one day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki giggled, “That would be really cool. Mr. Yagami has been teaching me a lot, so--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shingo stopped in his tracks, “Wait. Did you say ‘Yagami’? As in ‘Iori Yagami’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Uh, yeah.” Kiki cocked her head at him. “Is something wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His brow furrowed, and he pointed at her face, “Ms. Cruz! You and I are now rivals!” He placed the rice ball he was holding for her back into her hand and ran off. “Just take a left at the next street corner and the apartment building should be on the right! And next time we meet, it’ll be in the ring!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Shingo darted off, Kiki stood in the middle of the sidewalk, dumbfounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... What just happened.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, uh. I actually intended for a rewrite of Kyo vs. Kiki: Round One to be this chapter, but things changed lol<br/>Kyo will get formally introduced in the story soon, I assure you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Kyo vs. Iori: Round [Lost Count]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Iori and Kiki walked side by side on their way to the supermarket as Kiki recounted the events from earlier that morning. "So, I guess I have a rival now?" she concluded her story with a shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” said Iori with no change in expression. “Now you have another thing to work towards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna kill him!” Kiki cried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s not what I’m saying,” Iori punched his fist into his palm. “Just show him who’s boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki shook her head, “No! I don’t wanna hurt him!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then what the hell am I training you for?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled, “This is exactly what I meant when I said you’re holding back. Speaking of which,” He pointed at the girl and continued, “stop doing that. Every training session for the past week, I had to tell you to hit me harder. You have to do that without me saying so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But what if I break something?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve already told you, you’re not at that level yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And when I am?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, good for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the two of them conversed, a voice called out in the distance, “That’s her!” Iori and Kiki looked over in the direction of the voice. Further up the road, they saw Shingo with a young man in a black school uniform heading in their direction. Shingo and his companion came to a halt and locked eyes with Iori and Kiki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cruz!” Shingo shouted and pointed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shingo?” Kiki questioned and cocked her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kyo!” Iori howled and ignited a purple flame in his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yagami!” the young man yelled and ignited an orange flame in his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kyo?!” Kiki cried and whipped her head back at the pair in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori and Kyo charged at each other. Purple and orange embers flew in the air as the two of them exchanged blows. They yelled and grunted with each strike and dodge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki whipped her head around, noticing bystanders on the street starting to crowd around them. She brought her attention back to Kyo and Iori and cried, “Now?! Here?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the fight continued, Kyo glanced at his surroundings as he dodged each of Iori’s kicks and punches. The crowd looked on at the scene with a mix of excitement and concern. Some people hollered and whooped while others pulled out their phones, ready to call the police, no doubt. Iori sent a punch straight to Kyo’s face, but Kyo caught it in his hand just before impact. “Let’s settle this somewhere else, Yagami.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Killjoy,” Iori brought his fist down and mused through gritted teeth. “The usual place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyo smirked and gave him a slight nod. He sprinted in the opposite direction he came and beckoned Shingo to follow him, “Come on!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With no hesitation, Shingo started running after him, “Wait up, Mr. Kusanagi!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori looked over to Kiki and flashed her a devilish grin, “Change of plans.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki held her head in confusion as she tried to process what just happened, “Okay??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pair ran through the bustling streets. Iori kept his sights on Kyo, charging straight ahead, not stopping even when he bumped into passersby. Kiki scampered after him, directing “Sorry”s and “Excuse me”s at the complaining street-goers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two pairs arrived at the local train station and waited for the next train to arrive on the platform. Kyo and Iori glared at each other at a distance. Shingo tried to do the same with his rival, but Kiki’s perplexed expression didn’t help at all. Once the train rolled in, the pairs piled into separate cars. Iori and Kiki were squished into the car with the other passengers. Kiki clung onto Iori’s jacket and her face was pressed up against his exposed chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmph mm mph mph mm-mmph mmph mm mmph?” Kiki asked, face still in between Iori’s pecs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t understand a word you just said,” grumbled Iori.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki tilted her head up and repeated her question, “How long do we gotta ride this train?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just a couple stops,” he replied. “Stay close. Don’t get separated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“‘Kay--” Kiki cocked an eyebrow, “You okay? Your face is kinda red--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>About fifteen minutes later, the next stop’s name was announced over the train’s P.A. system. Iori nudged Kiki, signaling to her to get ready to depart. She clung tighter onto Iori’s sleeve, anticipating to break into a sprint as soon as the car’s doors opened. The train came to a halt, and Iori pushed his way out with Kiki still clinging onto him. They both turned their heads towards the other train car and exchanged glances with Kyo and Shingo who both just got off as well. Kyo and Iori dashed off side by side towards the station exit with their two disciples right behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki sighed, exasperated, “This is turning out to be quite a day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You bet!” Shingo grinned at her. “I get my own rival, and now I get to see Mr. Kusanagi fight for real? Against Mr. Yagami too? This is the best!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wanted to pick up groceries,” Kiki whined under her breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few minutes of running later, the four fighters arrived in an alleyway between a liquor store and a hotel. Kiki steadied herself against a wall to catch her breath while Shingo observed Kyo and Iori staring each other down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Get him good, Mr. Kusanagi!” Shingo cheered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“D-Do your best, Mr. Yagami…!” Kiki called out breathily.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Flames danced in the two fighters’ hands. A heavy, tense atmosphere grew around them. They positioned themselves into their respective stances, still glaring at each other with unwavering stares. With no words spoken between them, they rushed forward and began their brawl.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyo crouched low and kicked a leg out. Anticipating this, Iori hopped forward and clawed his hand down towards Kyo’s face. His nails scraped across Kyo's cheek, causing him to recoil from the attack. Iori continued with his assault with an uppercut with his left hand, then his right, and finished off by slamming both his fists down onto the back of his opponent’s head. Kyo swore under his breath as he struggled to recover. He rolled back, quickly avoiding a downward swipe from Iori’s leg. Rising to his feet, Kyo stepped forward and punched with his right fist, knocking Iori back. He followed up with a burst of flame and finished off with another fire blast. “Your body’s helpless!” he yelled. Iori flew back from the flurry of blows and fell to the pavement with a thud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice one!” Shingo raised a fist and cheered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori grunted as he pushed himself back up to his feet. “You can do it, Mr. Yagami!” encouraged Kiki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyo attempted to close the distance between himself and Iori, but Iori threw a purple fireball down to the ground. “How’s this?!” Iori shouted. The fireball snaked across the ground and hit Kyo’s feet. With a cry, he was knocked back. Kyo brought his arms up in front of his face, anticipating another attack. Iori quickly stepped behind him, clawed into his back, and growled, “Out of my way!” Kyo stumbled forward from the attack with a pained grunt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki’s eyes lit up as Iori made his comeback, “Keep going, Mr. Yagami!” As Kyo tried to regain his bearings, Iori sprinted towards him, grabbed his face, and slammed his head into the ground with a roar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Die!” he shouted as a purple flame erupted from Iori’s hand. Shingo and Kiki simultaneously gasped and looked down at Kyo, concerned for his safety. Fortunately, Kyo immediately rolled away, putting out any remains of Iori’s flames that were still burning on his clothes. Kyo dashed towards Iori once more, and Iori attempted to slash at him before he could get too close. However, Kyo ducked down and kicked at his shins with one foot then the other. Iori fell to the pavement from his legs giving in and attempted to get back up. As Iori pushed himself up, Kyo raised a hand above his head. A bright orange flame engulfed his hand as he yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shingo’s eyes widened, “That’s…!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Iori rose to his feet, Kyo charged at him, bringing his inflamed hand down and sent a large fire blast forward. “Chew on this!” The flames hit Iori straight on and knocked him back. He slid across the pavement, groaning in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Yagami!” Kiki ran to the man’s side and kneeled down next to him, checking for any serious injuries.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. He’ll live.” She heard Kyo say. She turned around and saw him and Shingo approaching her. “So,” He beckoned her to stand. “let's talk."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, this definitely isn't a one-to-one rewrite of Kyo Vs. Kiki: Round One like I originally planned it to be, but I like the new direction that Kyo's introduction went. It definitely feels more natural for Iori and Kyo to face off before Kiki and Kyo can officially face off against each other.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Something About Kyo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kyo and Kiki sat on the park bench waiting for Shingo to come back with the vending machine drinks they requested. Iori rested on the bench with his head on Kiki’s lap.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m back!” announced Shingo as he handed the drinks to Kyo and Kiki. “A sports drink for Mr. Kusanagi, a green tea for Cruz, and a soda for me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Shingo,” said Kiki. Shingo plopped down onto the bench next to Kyo and the three of them popped open their drinks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, you’re that girl that ran into Shingo earlier, huh?” Kyo asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki giggled, "More like </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> ran into </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Shingo rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously at the remark. Kiki introduced herself as she sipped her green tea, “Anyway, I’m Kiki Cruz.” With a bow, she added, “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Kusanagi!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kyo opened his mouth to say something but closed it again as he tried to formulate his next sentence correctly. “You…” He began to say as he gazed at her expectantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki looked up, "What?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's just…" Kyo shook his head. And laughed, "It's weird hearing you call me 'Mr. Kusanagi' since you… You know. "</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki tilted her head, "What?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh, I get it!" exclaimed Shingo. "It's because you and Mr. Kusanagi--"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Shut it, Shingo!" Kyo smacked him upside the head. He shook his head and turned back to Kiki. Noticing her unwavering confusion, he sighed, "Look, just forget it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why is everyone so weird today?” Kiki mumbled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kyo glanced down at Iori, “So, you and Yagami, huh?” Kiki nodded. He chuckled to himself, “Never thought him of all people would be teaching someone. Let alone a girl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, well,” Kiki shrugged, “a week’s worth of constant street fights can probably convince a guy to do whatever you want.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds about right,” Kyo said as he glanced over at Shingo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shingo looked back and raised an eyebrow as he drank his soda, “Wuh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Still," Kyo continued, "KOF ain't gonna be easy. Even the most veteran fighters don't make it into the tournament, let alone actually win. What makes you think you can compete?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, everyone's gotta start somewhere, right?" Kiki grinned. "Besides, training for KOF is way better than what I was doing before."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"What were you doing before?" asked Shingo.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Went to college for the past five years," she answered nonchalantly. "It sucked, honestly. Only did it because my parents told me to. Plus, the stress? Unbearable. Besides," she pumped a fist in the air, "if the guy who hasn't even graduated high school can become champion, maybe I've got a chance too!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kyo's brow furrowed, "You wanna take back that last part?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"S-Sorry!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"However," Kyo's expression softened, "I think you can do it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"But you've never even seen me fight," Kiki pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shingo shot his hand up, "We can fight now!" Kyo smacked him again. "Yeowch!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kyo turned his full attention back to Kiki, "Trust me. You can." He smiled warmly at her, "Even if it takes an eternity for you to get there, never forget someone's gonna be out there rooting for you."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Kyo…?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before she or Kyo could say anything else, Kiki felt movement on her lap. “Mr. Yagami!” Kiki beamed as she looked down at him. “You’re alive!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori sat up and scoffed, “Of course I’m alive. I won’t die until I kill Kyo.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kyo rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah, that’s what you always say.” He finished off his bottle and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. Getting up from his seat, he nodded to Shingo, “Let’s go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Already?!” Shingo downed his drink and threw his can into the trash as well. “Can't I have just one match with Cruz?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kyo waved his hand dismissively as he walked away, “You can always do that later. We gotta go.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shingo sighed, “Okay….” He ran after Kyo and yelled to Kiki, “We will face each other one day, Cruz! I swear it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki gave a small wave to the two of them as they ran off, “Bye, guys!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were out of earshot, Shingo asked, “Why didn’t you tell her, Mr. Kusanagi? She’s--”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you to shut it, didn’t I?!” Kyo looked back to Kiki who was smiling widely and made large gestures as she conversed with Iori. He frowned, “She obviously doesn’t remember anyway.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sure you guys picked up on Kyo's strange behavior in this chapter. This is part of a plot point I actually haven't explored in the original one-shots at all, and that's all I'm gonna be saying about it. Gotta keep some things under wraps lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. A Quick Fix</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Back in Iori’s apartment, Kiki and Iori unpacked groceries from their supermarket trip and stowed them away in their proper places. Kiki remained silent as she put packages of meat and fish in the freezer. Though she babbled excitedly about Kyo and Iori’s fight earlier when they were resting at the park, Kiki didn’t say much during their time at the supermarket or on their way home. This sort of silence was relieving for Iori, but the fact Kiki was so quiet did raise some flags for him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Something on your mind?” Iori finally asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki jumped slightly from her train of thought coming to a sudden halt, “Huh? Oh, yeah.” She closed the freezer door and leaned against it. “Just thinking about what Kyo said to me when we were at the park.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori grabbed a package of noodles from one of the plastic bags, “Go on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki looked up to the ceiling, “It’s just… I dunno. Kyo seemed to be acting weird the whole time. Honestly, I pegged him as a cocky bastard who didn’t know when to shut up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori snorted and put a plastic bag full of chips and cookies by the fridge, “Well, you’re not wrong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She snapped and finger-gunned him, “See, exactly! And that’s the thing. Earlier, he just seemed more… gentle. And that last thing he said. I….” She trailed off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “Never mind. I'm probably just imagining things. Still, so weird! The Kyo I met was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> the Kyo I saw on TV last year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fridge,” Iori said as he handed a carton of milk for Kiki to put away. As she did, he said, “Say, humor me for a bit. With Kyo being Kyo, why did you want to learn from him in the first place?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, with him not graduating from high school and me being a college drop-out, I felt like we could connect, y’know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori whipped his head around and narrowed his eyes at her. “You went to college?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?” Kiki cracked a wry smile at him, “Is that really so hard to believe?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Iori replied flatly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki pouted, “Hey, I’ll have you know I could’ve gotten an engineering degree.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori’s brow furrowed, “Engineering? Really?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do I really not seem the type?” Iori opened his mouth to answer, but Kiki stopped him, “Don’t answer that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them finished putting away groceries, so they moved to the couch in the living room to continue the conversation. Kiki plopped down on one side and sat cross-legged on her seat while Iori sat on the other end, resting an elbow on the arm of the couch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just saying,” Kiki continued, “if you’ve got some gadgets that need fixing up, I’m your girl!” She laughed nervously, “Though, to tell you the truth, the stuff I learned in college leaned more towards the ‘making’ aspect of working with gadgets rather than the 'fixing’ part. Still!” Her whole face glowed as her excitement grew, “I’m awesome at fixing stuff! I was basically my family’s repairman, after all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That so?” Iori gazed at her expectantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki’s eyes lit up, “Got something for me to work on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, yes.” Iori rose from his seat and headed towards his bedroom. Kiki hopped off the sofa and followed him. She climbed onto the bed and observed Iori as he rolled an amplifier out of his closet. “This thing can’t turn on anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki slid off the bed and examined the amp closely. She put a hand to her chin as she circled around the machine, "I see, I see…." She turned to Iori and rubbed the back of her neck. "So, good news and slightly less good news. Good news is I brought my tools with me so I shouldn't have a problem popping this baby open if need be." She averted her gaze, "Slightly less good news is that I've never worked with something like this before, but I'm sure I'll figure it out!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori frowned, "You'd better not break it even further."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki stood tall and saluted to him, "Worry not, Mr. Yagami! Your amp will be in tip top shape in no time. I'll get to work right away!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good," Iori left the bedroom and called out, "Again: don't break anything."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yup!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the rest of the afternoon, Kiki worked on the amp. Getting it open was one thing, and understanding its inner workings was a whole other thing to tackle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori popped back into the bedroom once to give Kiki food for dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks, Mr. Yagami," she said without taking her eyes off the mess of wires she was fiddling with. As he left the room, he heard her say, "Alright, that connects to the speaker. Shouldn't touch that. That's the volume, those are for the transistors…." Iori just stood in the hallway for a moment, taking in Kiki's mumbling. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So focused. Just like that night when she moved in,</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought. With that final thought, he went to the living room, picked a novel off his bookshelf, and laid on the couch to read.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was approaching 9 P.M. when Iori noticed that there was no longer any noise coming from the bedroom. He put down his book and approached the doorway. Lightly tapping against the door, Iori listened for Kiki, but there was no response. Cracking the door open, Iori saw Kiki resting her head on top of the amp with a pair of pliers in her hand. The back cover of the amp laid on the floor beside her along with a small plastic bin with screws inside it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori sighed, "Damn woman. At least get yourself into bed first." He tiptoed around her, grabbed a thin blanket from his closet, and draped it over her shoulders. He flipped the lights off and returned to the door. Before leaving the room, he looked back down at Kiki and mumbled, "Night, Kiki."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So uh. Fun fact about the last chapter. Kiki was NOT supposed to call Kyo by his first name. Like at all. But hey, that little mistake actually helped me in getting this posted so I guess it was more of a happy little accident. Also, Kiki only calls Kyo "Mr. Kusanagi" when she's actually talking to him so her referring to him by first name here IS supposed to happen.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Harmonious Cacophony</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Later the next morning, Kiki entered the living room with a cheerful, “Morning, Mr. Yagami!” Iori grumbled as he blinked his tired eyes open and sat up from the couch. Kiki rolled the amp towards him and gestured to it with a flourish, “Ta-da! All fixed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be the judge of that.” Iori slipped off his seat and trudged over to his bass case sitting in the corner of the room. “Plug it in,” he said as he popped the case open. Kiki rolled the amp over to the outlet closest to him and plugged in the power cord. Iori took out his bass and connected it to the amp. After turning the dials down, he turned it on and fiddled around with its settings. Kiki sat on the floor as she watched Iori pluck at the bass strings. The tones resounded from the speaker as he played a simple scale. Nodding to himself, he set his bass down and turned off the amp, “Not bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki smiled wide, “Glad I could help, Mr. Yagami!” He headed to the kitchen. “What are you doing?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gonna make a few calls,” he replied. The girl followed him and observed him as he picked up the receiver and dialed a number. After a few moments, Iori spoke up, “Mizushima? It’s me.” A pause. “Got my amp fixed.” Iori recoiled a bit and held the receiver a few inches from his ear. Bringing it back, he groaned, “You’re too damn loud. Look, are you free later or not?” A pause and a nod. “Alright, we’ll meet at the café at one and schedule our next practice. I’m gonna give Izumi and Mochizuki a call too.” Another pause. “Yeah, yeah, bye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki leaned against the fridge as Iori called up the other two people he mentioned. Once he was done with his last phone call, Kiki piped up, “Your band?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded. "You're coming with me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki raised an eyebrow,  "Huh? Why?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"When they find out you're living with me, I'll never hear the end of it," he grumbled. "Might as well get it over with."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Never hear the end of what?”</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>A few minutes before the meeting time, Iori and Kiki arrived at the café with him entering first and her behind him as usual. Surveying the area, Iori found a familiar face sitting at a table near a window on the other side of the building. If Kiki didn’t know better, she would have mistaken this man as a KOF fighter himself with his large muscular body. If he moved too much, his polo shirt probably would have burst at the seams. The man waved to Iori and he waved back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he and Kiki seated themselves at the table, Iori greeted, “Hey, Mochizuki.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good to see you, Yagami.” The man spoke in a deep, but gentle tone. Mochizuki turned his attention to Kiki, “I’m Shun Mochizuki, one of Yagami’s bandmates. Drummer. And you are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki smiled brightly and bowed to him, “I’m Kiki Cruz, Mr. Yagami’s student. Nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shun raised his eyebrows, “Student?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Training her to get into KOF,” replied Iori.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Shun chuckled, “Well, don’t work her too hard.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was exactly one o'clock when another person had entered the café. This time, it was a young woman with short, bleached blonde hair. A denim jacket, jeans, and bright pastel graphic tee were </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> what Kiki expected another one of Iori’s bandmates to wear, but the fact her eyes glinted with a sense of familiarity when she spotted Shun and Iori let her know that this woman was, undoubtedly, part of the band. She skipped over to their table with a bright smile on her face, “Shun! Iori!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Izumi,” Shun gave her a small wave, and Iori nodded to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cocked her head at Kiki, “And who might this be? Did one of you guys get a girlfriend without telling me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A blush colored Kiki’s cheeks, “Eh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’s Yagami’s,” Shun teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki jumped, “Eh?!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t say stupid shit,” Iori groaned. “Izumi, this is my disciple, Kiki. She wants to fight in KOF one day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s very nice to meet you,” Kiki bowed to her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you too!” Izumi grinned. “I’m Aya Izumi. I’m the band’s guitarist.” She leaned into Kiki’s ear and whispered, “If Iori’s causing you any trouble, you come straight to me, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“E-Eh??”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori shot Aya a glare, “What was that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pinched his cheek, “Don’t worry your little head over it, Iorin.” He rolled his eyes and swatted her hand away. Aya giggled at his reaction and took a look around the café. She pouted and put her hands on her hips, “Probably shouldn’t even bother asking, but where’s Yuta?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Late as usual,” replied Iori.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed, “Of course he is.” Shaking her head, Aya took a seat next to Shun. “Seriously, Iori, you gotta schedule these meetings better.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ain’t my fault the guy can't keep track of time,” he said with a shrug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, the final band member burst through the door. Now, this is what Kiki expected a member of Iori’s band to look: a slightly unbuttoned shirt with sleeves rolled up, a multitude of bracelets around each wrist, pierced ears, and a look in his eyes that could make any woman’s knees go weak. He waved at the group with his whole arm and greeted them loudly as he paced to their table, “Yagami! Mochi! Aya! Hey!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori waved back at him, “Mizushima.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re late, Yuta. Again,” Aya grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, it’s fine,” Yuta gestured dismissively. “Besides, this meeting's supposed to be short. Who cares if I'm a minute or two late?” He pointed at Kiki with his thumb, “Who’s she?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Kiki,” said Iori. “She’s my disciple, and she’s living with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three bandmates blinked, then cried in unison, “What?!” They began clamoring all at once. “You have a girlfriend?!” “Why didn’t you mention that last part earlier?!” “... Huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I now see what you mean,” Kiki quietly quipped to Iori.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will the three of you shut up already?!” Iori bellowed. The trio shut their mouths immediately. “Look, she just needed a place to stay, and I took her in. Nothing else to it.” Kiki nodded in confirmation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuta squinted at him and crossed his arms, “Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever you say, Yagami. By the way,” he smirked at Kiki, “the name’s Yuta Mizushima, best vocalist this side of Osaka. And if you ever change your mind about staying with Yagami, my place is always open--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori yanked him by the sleeve and forced his ass down to the chair next to him, “Just take your damn seat.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A few moments later, a waitress approached the group and took their drink orders. For the rest of their time there, the five of them discussed when their next practice would be and the possibility of future gigs. Once they were done, they all went their separate ways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They were really nice,” Kiki said as she and Iori walked back home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that how you’d put it?” grumbled Iori.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She giggled, “It must be fun being in a band with them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shrugged, “I guess. Anyway, I’m bringing you with me to our practice next week.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh? Are you sure?” She rubbed the back of her neck, “I don’t wanna get in the way or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’ll probably be better than sitting around doing nothing at the apartment for an hour,” he remarked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I could always train on my own while I wait,” suggested Kiki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“True. Still,” He looked down at her with a slight smile, “I just have a feeling they want to see you again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki showed him a wide grin and pumped her fist in the air, “Okay!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah yes, Iori's band who we never got any canon info about. Except for in KOFG where we at least get introduced to the vocalist through Iori's side story. No, he doesn't get named at all. Hell, I'm not even sure if I got his personality right but whatever.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. A Deadly Blue Flower Blooms</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Another early evening rolled around in a certain quiet corner of Osaka prefecture. The pink sky hung overhead, outlining silhouettes of towering office buildings. Gentle rumbles of car engines passed by on the city streets. Fluorescent lights of the street lamps flickered, casting blinking shadows of meandering pedestrians onto the gray sidewalks. In their usual empty lot, Iori and Kiki trained together. Their grunts and groans of effort resounded in the open space.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s it, keep them coming,” Iori encouraged her as he blocked her punches and kicks with his palms. Kiki strung together hit after hit, taking careful aim at Iori's hands as he positioned them in various spots in front of his body. Occasionally, his hand would get knocked back an inch from the impact, and he would take a mental note of that. After a few more minutes of target practice, Iori spoke up, "And stop."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki backed off and did a full-body stretch, "So, how was that, Mr. Yagami?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori sat on the pavement and pulled out a box of cigarettes from his pocket. "Not bad," he said as he put one between his lips. Kiki sat a few feet away from him to rest. Igniting a small purple ember from his fingertip, Iori lit his cigarette and took a drag. “You’re improving. I can actually feel some force with your hits this time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awesome!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori side-glanced at her, “You ready to learn one of my moves?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki’s whole expression brightened. She scampered right next to Iori and leaned in close to his face. “Yes,” she squeaked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Settle down,” he grumbled as he pushed her face away. He ground the tip of his cigarette down against the pavement and stood, "Observe."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki retrieved her notebook and pen from her pocket as Iori walked a few feet away from her. He lowered himself into his usual stance with his feet wide apart and his fingers sprawled out in front of him. "Ready?" he called out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki showed him a thumbs up, "Ready!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On cue, Iori lowered his stance even further and closed his hands into fists. Taking a step forward, he shot his left fist up into an uppercut, took another step, punched up with his right, then ended with a leap forward while swinging both fists above and behind his head then downward.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I think I remember Iori using that move on Kyo a couple weeks back,</span>
  </em>
  <span> thought Kiki as she quickly sketched his movements into her notebook.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he finished, Iori stood tall and walked back towards Kiki. "That was the Reverse Method 127: Aoibana," he explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"'Reverse Method…. Aoibana…." Kiki repeated to herself as she wrote the move's name above her diagram.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's a move that doesn't require flames," explained Iori. "So, I figured it would be easy for you to replicate."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki nodded in agreement, "Makes sense to me."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"So," Iori beckoned to her, "let's see you try."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘Kay!” Kiki pushed herself up to her feet and stood in a stance similar to Iori's. Her mentor observed her as she took a deep breath and began her maneuver.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She punched up with her left fist, punched upward with her right, jumped forward, brought her fists together in front of her, and swung them down where they almost hit the ground. Upon landing, she stretched her arms above her head and turned to Iori, "How was that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori shook his head, "Terrible."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"H-Huh?" She hopped back an inch from shock. "What did I do wrong?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Where do I even begin?" he sighed and positioned himself into his neutral stance again. Lowering his body, he explained, "When I start low like this, it gives me a wider range of motion, which means more follow-through." He demonstrated his point by throwing the first uppercut. "If I do what you just did," he began as he rose to his original position and punched up, "there’s not as much room to work with." He swung his left fist back and forth to prove his point. Kiki nodded and furrowed her bow as she focused. Sure enough, there was a smaller arc of motion than before. Iori explained further, “More follow-through means a bigger impact.” Kiki nodded in understanding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"With the second hit, step as you punch, not after," he said as he showed the maneuver. "The step is the wind up before the actual hit."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki drew arrows onto her diagram, emphasizing the step in her drawing of the second punch, "A wind-up… I see, I see…"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And with the final part," he leaped, bringing his fists above his head on his way up, and hammered them down as he landed, "same deal as the first: give yourself more of an arc to deal more damage." He swung his arms up and down to demonstrate.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki drew more arrows onto her diagram, noting the arm motion for the last part. Once she finished, she gave the diagram a once over. Nodding to herself, Kiki looked back up at Iori with a burning determination in her eyes, "I wanna try again!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori gestured to her, “Go ahead.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She hopped up from her seat and followed Iori’s instructions exactly: she lowered herself before her first uppercut, led in with a step for the second one, then finished off with a leap and a wide hammering swing for the final blow. Upon landing, Kiki stood tall, turned to Iori, and showed her best “How did I do?” grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Iori just nodded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She jumped for joy, “Hell yeah!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re not finished yet,” dec. He got into his fighting stance, “We’re going to practice that move for the rest of the night. We won’t stop until I know you’ve really got it down.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kiki grinned widely and got into her stance as well. “Let’s go!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Wind Down</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Welcome!” The ramen chef greeted Iori and Kiki as they entered the ramen shop and sat at the bar. He grinned at them and asked, “The usual?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki nodded vigorously and bounced in her stool, “Yup, yup, yup!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chef chuckled to himself and placed glasses of water in front of them, “It’s always a joy to see you so excited, Miss.” He turned to Iori and winked, “You could learn a thing or two from her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph,” Iori scoffed and sipped his water.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sensei</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Kiki teased. “Even your student could teach you some things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori flicked her forehead, “Don’t push it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chef snickered and turned around to start cooking the pair's meal. He called out from over his shoulder, "Speaking of which, I'm curious. What are you two up to at this time of night every week? The little miss always seems to be drenched in sweat every time you stop by."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki pumped a fist in the air, "Mr. Yagami's training me to get into KOF!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"KOF?" The chef mused while slicing some pork. The thought for a moment, then nodded, "Ah, that's right, that martial arts tournament on TV last year." He continued as he chopped a bunch of leeks, "I remember watching a few matches with my kids. My son was a huge fan of that Kusanagi boy. And my daughter--" he glanced at Iori. “Oh! I thought I recognized you from somewhere!” The chef laughed and put the ingredients into the boiling pot, “Yes, yes, my daughter took a liking to you, Yagami." He shook his head and snorted, "Says she's gonna be Mrs. Yagami one day!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori frowned, “Hmph.” Kiki giggled and swung her legs under her stool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too bad for her, but looks like I’ll have to tell her she’s got some competition,” the chef commented as he shot a look at Kiki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She cocked her head at him, “Hm?” Iori rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chef dumped the ramen into two bowls and served them, “One for the miss, and one for Yagami.” He bowed to both of them, “Enjoy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the food!” they replied in unison. The pair broke their chopsticks and ate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After finishing their food, Iori left their payment on the counter and walked towards the exit. Kiki followed suit, not before giving a small bow to the chef, “Thanks again for the food, sir. See you next week!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chef waved goodbye, “Until next time!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bright yellow lights of the street lamps beamed down on the sidewalk and illuminated the darkened streets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki gestured with quick motions as she told Iori about various things she had done in the early mornings for the past week while he snoozed away at home, “So, then Shingo’s all like ‘I’ll get you for sure this time, Cruz!’ and he just comes at me like ‘whoosh!’” She shot her arm out for emphasis. “Seriously, he always wants a fight at the most inconvenient times. I just wanna grab a rice ball and go home, dammit!” Shaking her head, Kiki sighed, “Like, doesn’t he have anything better to do? The kid’s still in high school. He should be studying or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Quite a handful,” Iori commented.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki let out a wry laugh, “You can say that again. If I didn’t tell him I was your student, do you think we could’ve been friends?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’d figure it out eventually. So, no, nothing would change.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged, “I guess you’re right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they neared the apartment complex, Iori stopped in his tracks. Kiki halted as well and cocked an eyebrow at him, “Mr. Yagami? What’s up?” He slipped into the alleyway up ahead and nodded over to her, signalling her to follow him. Iori took light steps as he went further into the alley and Kiki did the same. A few feet of the way in, Iori put his hand out, and Kiki peeked from behind him, trying to see what they’re stopping for. Iori put a finger to his lips, crouched down, and extended his hand. Kiki crouched as well and gave Iori a curious look. It was at that moment, a rustle came from under a collapsed cardboard box. Kiki’s eyes widened and she let out a squeal when she saw what emerged. A small white kitten tiptoed towards Iori and nuzzled against his outstretched hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki inched closer and whispered, “Can I pet it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori kept his eyes on the kitten, “Do as you please. Just don’t make sudden movements. She gets startled easily.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki nodded and slowly brought a hand to the kitten. It looked curiously at the new hand approaching it. Sniffing Kiki’s fingers, the kitten nuzzled up to Kiki’s palm. Its soft fur brushed against Kiki’s fingertips, and Kiki couldn’t help but let out another happy squeak. The kitten meowed in reply. A bright smile shone on Kiki’s face, “Meow!” The kitten let out another tiny meow. “Meow meow!” Kiki said back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What a thrilling conversation,” Iori remarked sarcastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meow meow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iori stood up and began to walk out of the alleyway, “Come on. You’re gonna actually turn into a cat at this rate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki pouted, “Aw, okay.” Before chasing after Iori, she turned back and waved at the kitten, “Bye, little guy. Mr. Yagami and I will be back soon!” The kitten mewed and retreated to its box.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kiki caught up to Iori and walked by his side, “That kitten really likes you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess,” Iori said with a shrug. He glanced at Kiki, “Cats, in general, like me for some reason. Don’t really get it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She bowed her head as if deep in thought, “I mean, animals tend to like people who they think are nice.” Showing him a smile, she added, “Maybe they know you’re a nice person, Mr. Yagami.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ridiculous,” he grumbled. He started to pick up his pace, “Hurry up. It’s getting dark and I’m tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a nod, Kiki matched his stride and walked alongside him.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. A... Date?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em> Please don't run into Shingo. Please don't run into Shingo. </em> Please <em> don't run into Shingo…! </em> Kiki silently prayed as she walked her way back to Iori's apartment from the convenience store. The sun just barely peeked over the horizon, prompting the girl to shade her eyes from its rays with her free hand. She munched on her warm pork bun as she whipped her head around in every direction. Though there was still no sign of him, the thought of Shingo interrupting the girl's breakfast run annoyed the hell out of her. She picked up her pace and took another large bite of the bun, still scanning the area for the tiniest glimpse of a bright blue school uniform.</p><p>As the apartment complex came into view, Kiki let out a sigh of relief, thankful her morning ritual went without a hitch this time. With a relaxed gait, Kiki walked towards the complex, finishing the last of her meal as she did so. Before she made it to the front entrance, Kiki could have sworn she could hear rapid footfalls ahead of her. …And they're getting closer?</p><p>"Cruuuuuuuuuuuuz!"</p><p>
  <em> SHIT. </em>
</p><p>Kiki ran towards the entrance at top speed, but Shingo was too fast. The boy scooped her up and carried her over his shoulder without slowing down for a second.</p><p>Kiki yelped in surprise, "Shingo?! What the hell?!" She paused. "We're not gonna fight?"</p><p>Shingo replied back, still running across the pavement, "Not today! I'm on an urgent mission for Mr. Kusanagi!"</p><p>"What does this gotta do with me?!"</p><p>"No clue! All Mr. Kusanagi said was that he wanted to see you."</p><p>Kiki sighed, resigned herself to her fate, and thought, <em> Why do I have a feeling literally picking me up off the street wasn't part of the plan?</em></p><hr/><p>Kyo stared blankly at Shingo, "... Did you literally pick her up off the street?"</p><p>Shingo cocked his head, "Was I not supposed to?"</p><p>Kyo groaned and facepalmed, "Put her down already."</p><p>Shingo lifted Kiki off his shoulder and gently set her feet down onto the wooden dojo floor. “Anything else, Mr. Kusanagi?” he asked.</p><p>He shook his head, “Nah.” Gesturing Shingo to leave, he added, “Now get outta here, will ya?”</p><p>With a nod, Shingo left the room, leaving Kiki and Kyo by themselves. Kyo shook his head, “Shingo’s such a dumbass.” He looked to Kiki, “You’re not hurt, are you?”</p><p>She blinked in surprise, “Huh? No, not at all. Just a bit confused, really.” Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “So, what did you want to see me for, Mr. Kusanagi?”</p><p>“First off,” Kyo responded, putting up a finger, “cut the ‘Mr. Kusanagi’ shit. It’s weird. Secondly,” he averted his gaze and mumbled, “… do you wanna hang out?”</p><p>Kiki just stood, dumbfounded and speechless.</p><p>“W-Well?” His face reddened slightly with his gaze still avoiding Kiki, “Yes or no?”</p><p>She stumbled over her words as she tried to process Kyo’s sudden proposal, “Huh? Uh, y-yeah, sure! I’d love to! Sorry, I just didn’t expect that.” Digging her phone out of her backpack, she continued, “Let me just call Mr. Yagami real quick. I don’t want him wondering where I’ve gone.”</p><p>“Whatever,” Kyo said with a shrug and a sigh of relief.</p><p>She dialed the number and waited. After a few rings, the call went to the answering machine. With a sigh, Kiki left her message, “Hey, Mr. Yagami? It’s Kiki. I’m gonna be out for a while today. Kyo--” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kyo shaking his head wildly and making wide sweeping gestures with his arms. She stopped herself and faked a cough, “Ahem! Sorry, uh, as I was saying, I’m gonna be out. I’ll call you back when I’m heading back to your place. See you later.” She hung up and laughed to herself, “Do you think he noticed?”</p><p>“I hope not,” Kyo groaned. “Anyway," He stood tall and walked towards the exit. With a nod, he asked, "Ready?"</p><hr/><p>Kyo led the way from the train station all the way to their destination. When they arrived, he announced, "Here we are! The arcade." Beyond the glass windows of the building's front side, rows upon rows of arcade cabinets were lined up. Kids and adults sat in front of some of them, frantically wiggling joysticks and mashing buttons.</p><p>Kiki's eyes widened in excitement, "Wow! I haven't been to an arcade since I was in America."</p><p>Kyo smirked, "Heh, I had a feeling this was gonna be a good idea." He marched forward and beckoned Kiki to follow, "What are you waiting for? Let's go!" The girl grinned and followed right behind him.</p><p>Bright, colorful lights from the machines illuminated the dim building. Electronic chimes and tunes from various games filled the air along with the cheerful cries and laughter from children. Kiki gazed at her surroundings in awe.</p><p>"Say," Kyo flashed a confident smile at her, "any good at Street Fighter?"</p><p>Kiki smiled back, "I'm decent at it. Played a bit with some friends some months back."</p><p>"Perfect! Let's play a round or two." Kyo began heading further into the arcade with Kiki following close behind him. When Kyo found an open pair of cabinets, he plopped onto the seat in front of one of them. Kiki sat at the other cabinet, excitement swelling inside her.</p><p>The pair loaded their respective machines with coins, pressed their start buttons, and with that, the game began.</p><p>Kiki chose Ken while Kyo chose Ryu. "Interesting choice," mused Kyo. "Ryu VS Ken" flashed on the screen then transitioned to the two fighters in their stances. As soon as the word "FIGHT" popped up, the pair began to make their moves.</p><p>Kiki threw a Hadouken, which Kyo immediately blocked. She backed away and tried again, but Kyo jumped over it, closing the gap between them. Kiki held her joystick firmly to the right, desperate to block an upcoming attack from Kyo. He assaulted her with multiple punches and kicks, and she continued to block each attack. Thinking quickly, Kiki crouched and sent out a low kick. Kyo recoiled from the hit, leaving him open. Kiki let out a small “Yes!” as she fought back with a string of punches and kicks of her own, knocking him to the ground. She chased after him and prepared to go on the offensive again, but Kyo immediately executed a Shoryuken, knocking Kiki to the ground.</p><p>“Gotcha!” Kyo shouted. As soon as Kiki got back up, he went in for another combo and succeeded in getting the first hit in. With another punch, kick, and Shoryuken, Kiki was down for the count.</p><p>She let out a groan. “I’ll get you this next round!”</p><p>Kyo laughed, “Bring it on!”</p><hr/><p>Kiki jiggled her joystick and mashed buttons desperately, hoping to get one last hit in. Both her and Kyo’s health bars were down to a sliver. But with a well-timed Hadouken from Kyo, Kiki had lost. Her shoulders slumped and she let out a huge exhale.</p><p>"That was fun!" Kiki smiled widely despite her loss. </p><p>Kyo rose from his seat and approached Kiki, "So, any games you wanna play?”</p><p>Without hesitation, Kiki replied, “Pac-Man! I played it a lot as a kid. Hopefully, I haven’t lost my touch.”</p><p>“Pac-Man, huh?” Kyo nodded and headed over to another section of the arcade. “Alright, should be over this way.” Kiki walked beside him as he showed her the way to the cabinet.</p><p>Kiki’s eyes shone as the Pac-Man cabinet came into view. The familiar sight of the colorful ghosts and the circular protagonist made her nostalgic. She ran to the stool, parked her ass down, and loaded a coin into the slot. Kyo managed to catch up to the girl as the game started up and showed the large maze on the screen.</p><p>The electronic beeps of the game’s theme jingled and the characters popped to life. Kiki swiftly jerked the joystick to the left, nabbing as many pellets as she could before the ghosts could give chase. Kyo watched closely as Kiki emptied the bottom-left corner of the maze, leaving just a Power Pellet by itself. “For an emergency,” she said. As she attempted to clear the bottom-right corner of the maze, two ghosts gained on her, threatening to go in for a pincer attack.</p><p>“Watch out!” Kyo cried.</p><p>Kiki merely smirked as she turned a corner and made for a beeline for the tunnel on the right side which transported her to the left. Kyo let out a sigh of relief as she began to clear out the top-right of the board. The rest of the run went smoothly with Kiki picking up fruit, grabbing pellets, and narrowly escaping ghosts. With that, the first maze was completed.</p><p>“Nice one!” Kyo cheered.</p><p>Kiki laughed and smugly smirked, “See that? That’s how an expert does it.” As the game continued into the second maze, Kiki piped up, “Have I ever told you I used to live in Japan?”</p><p>Kyo raised an eyebrow, “Oh? Do tell.”</p><p>“Mm-hm,” she replied without taking her eyes off the screen. “I used to go to a local arcade every day after school and just play Pac-Man.” She laughed to herself, “Not exciting at all, I know.”</p><p>“Still, it must have been fun if you played it every day,” Kyo pointed out.</p><p>“Hm, maybe,” Kiki thought for a moment. “I’d say I kept coming back for a different reason, though.”</p><p>Kyo perked up, “Yeah? What might that be?”</p><p>She smiled softly at the thought, “There was a boy.” Kyo looked at her intently as she continued. “I think he was from the local elementary school since he was a bit younger than me, but he was there whenever I was.”</p><p>“Uh-huh? And what was this kid like?” mused Kyo.</p><p>“He was a pretty cute kid, not gonna lie,” answered Kiki. She chuckled to herself as memories came back to her, “We’d take turns at playing Pac-Man, switching off between each board.” As she grabbed the last pellet in the maze, Kiki sighed, “It was fun.” Her heart felt heavy for a moment, “I wonder what he’s up to now. He’s gotta be in high school or maybe even graduated by now.”</p><p>“Uh… Yeah…” Kyo cleared his throat and ruffled Kiki’s hair, “I’m sure the kid’s fine. He probably misses you a lot.”</p><p>Kiki smiled to herself and continued to play as Kyo stayed beside her. If Kiki were not so focused on the game, she could have caught Kyo stealing glances at her.</p><hr/><p>“Want me to walk you the rest of the way?” Kyo asked as he and Kiki departed the train station.</p><p>“Nah, I got it from here.” Kiki bowed to him and smiled, “Thanks for inviting me! I had a lot of fun today. We should do this again sometime.”</p><p>Kyo nodded, “Don’t mention it.” He chuckled to himself, “With Shingo being Shingo and Yagami being Yagami, I figured we could both use a break.”</p><p>Kiki laughed, “Anyway, I’ll get going, then.” She turned around and skipped away, not before waving at Kyo, “Bye!”</p><p>Kyo gave her a small wave and went on his way. He kept his eyes forward as he left the station, but for a brief moment let himself look back. Kiki walked away, continuing onward without stopping. Her figure gradually shrunk as it headed towards the horizon. Kyo stood still, stuck in a mess of thoughts that raced through his head. He frowned as one particular thought weighed down on him.</p><p>
  <em> Sorry, Yuki. Part of me still…. </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>:')</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Shingo vs. Kiki: Round [Lost Count]</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Cruz!”</p><p>“Shit!”</p><p>Kiki held her pork bun in her mouth and high-tailed it out of there. Shingo gave chase, almost immediately closing the distance between them. Kiki weaved through pedestrians, hoping to shake Shingo off. The boy ran ahead of her and cut her off.</p><p>“Gotcha!” he exclaimed as he winded up a punch.</p><p>“Mrgh!” Kiki let out a muffled swear and ducked, dodging Shingo’s attack. Noticing the whiff, Shingo kicked out a leg, and Kiki brought both her arms up: one to defend herself and one to catch her pork bun just in case she spits it out on impact. Shingo’s foot connected, and he followed up with an overhead kick. The girl rolled behind him before the next hit could land. Rising to her feet, she ran past Shingo, hoping her evasion gave her enough distance. The apartment complex was just in sight, however, Shingo caught on quickly and managed to close the gap.</p><p>“This isn’t over!” he cried as he reeled a fist back. With a whine, Kiki lunged herself forward and kept running towards the apartment complex’s entrance, avoiding Shingo’s incoming punch. Once Kiki was at the entryway, she stretched an arm out to the door handle, yanked it towards her, and threw herself inside the building. Though she could hear the boy shouting at her, Kiki dared to not look back as she fumbled with her keyring to get her key into the inner door’s lock. Finally unlocking the door, Kiki dashed inside, up the stairs to the second floor, and into Iori’s apartment.</p><p>She slammed the door behind her and leaned back against it. Her whole body relaxed as she slid down against the door to her butt. The pork bun she held in her mouth fell onto her lap as her jaw slacked. After a moment of catching her breath, Kiki took a bite of her bun. A small reward for a successful getaway.</p><p>Hearing the door slam, Iori peeked out from the kitchen and looked down at Kiki, “... What’s with you?”</p><p>“Shingo chased me again,” she replied and took another bite of the bun. “Speaking of which, mind if we skip out on training today? I’m beat.”</p><p>Iori furrowed his brow. Hearing a faint shouting from downstairs, he walked over to the balcony. “He’s outside,” he called out.</p><p>“H-Huh?!” Kiki scrambled up to her feet and joined Iori at the balcony.</p><p>Peering down at the sidewalk below, she could see Shingo waving his fist at her. “Come back down here, Cruz, and fight me!”</p><p>“Are you fucking serious,” she muttered under her breath.</p><p>“You heard him,” Iori said plainly.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“If you’re not going to train, go fight him,” He turned to her. “He’s been chasing you for the past few weeks, right? So, fight back.”</p><p>Kiki rubbed the back of her neck and showed Iori a half-hearted smile, “Do you think he’ll leave me alone if I beat him?”</p><p>Iori looked back down at Shingo who was still barking up a storm like an excited puppy, “No.” The smallest faint of a smile cracked on Iori’s lips, “Speaking from personal experience.”</p><p>“... Ah.”</p><p>He nudged Kiki towards the exit. “Go on. Your rival’s waiting.”</p><p>Kiki pouted and wolfed down the rest of her food. Don’t want that getting in the way.</p><p>As soon as Kiki emerged from the front door of the apartment complex, Shingo got into his fighting stance, “Done running, Cruz?”</p><p>She rubbed the back of her neck and groaned as she trudged closer to the boy, “Yeah, yeah.” Placing her feet shoulder-width apart, one in front of the other, Kiki declared, “On one hand, I don’t wanna do this. On the other hand,” she brought her hands up and glared at him, “this is for all the times you interrupted breakfast.”</p><p>The two fighters charged at each other, readying their attacks. Shingo leaped into the air, while Kiki crouched down. Shingo let out a battle cry as he launched himself leg first into Kiki, “Shingo Kick!” The girl watched him carefully, waiting for the perfect moment to counterattack. However, he came at her much faster than she anticipated. Shingo hit her clean in the back of her head with his foot, knocking her down onto the pavement.</p><p>Peeking up to see that Shingo is within range, Kiki jumped up and launched an uppercut into Shingo's jaw. He let out a choked-back cry and flew back from the hit. Catching himself before his fall, Shingo rolled back and stood back up, barely breaking a sweat. Leaping into the air again, Shingo lunged towards Kiki. She braced herself for another airborne kick, but the boy stopped short in front of her. Dropping down, Shingo swept his leg at Kiki’s ankles, throwing her off her balance. He followed up with another kick, then a right hook, “Your body’s weak!” Kiki stumbled back from each hit. Her head pounded from Shingo’s first kick causing her to struggle to focus on her opponent. She blinked a few times, trying to get the stars out of her eyes.</p><p>Kiki stretched her hands out in front of her and bent her knees slightly. Shingo charged at her again, winding back a fist and letting out a battle cry. As he shot out a punch, Kiki pivoted away and grabbed his outstretched arm. Yanking Shingo closer, she kneed him in the stomach and shoved him away; he stumbled as he struggled to get back on good footing. She followed up with a tackle, knocking the boy onto his back. The adrenaline began to rush through her, and whatever pain she felt before began to subside. “Come on!” she taunted. “Is that all?!”</p><p>With a grunt, Shingo rose to his feet, cleared his throat, and smirked at Kiki, “I’m just getting started!” The two of them ran towards each other and let punches and kicks fly in a flurry. Both fighters blocked each other’s hits, not letting the other land another blow. That is until one hit from Kiki connected: a right hook to Shingo’s side. The punch caught him off-guard, temporarily stopping his train of thought. Kiki capitalized on this by punching upwards into his chest, doing it again, leaping forward, and hammering both fists down onto him.</p><p>Kiki panted as she stumbled back. She leaned against a nearby fence, caught her breath, and observed Shingo who, aside from his heaving chest, laid still on the ground. “I-I won…?”</p><p>Shingo groaned. Whether it was out of pain or disappointment, Kiki couldn’t tell. She walked to him and crouched beside him. Bruises started to form on his arms and his face was completely flushed. The boy looked up at her, “Can’t believe I lost.”</p><p>“It’s okay,” Kiki smiled softly and wiped the sweat off her brow, “Who knows? You might do better next time.” Shingo cocked an eyebrow at that last remark. “What? You said so yourself: we’re rivals.” She stood and offered a hand, “This definitely isn't gonna be our last match, Shingo.”</p><p>The boy’s whole face lit up. He sat up and took her hand, “Same time tomorrow?”</p><p>“Sure.” Pulling him up, she quipped, “Just let me eat something beforehand.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I looked up combos for Shingo and played some Iori vs. Shingo matches in '98UM to help with the fight scenes here.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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